Vehicle air conditioner



March 1942. P. E. DIEDERICH 2,277,952

VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONER Filed Nov. 8, 1958 IN VENTOR.

IIIJ I Patented Mar. 31, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,277,962 VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONER Paul E. Diederich, Detroit, Mich. Application November 8, 1938, Serial No. 239.536.

2 Claims. (01. 62146) My invention relates to a temperature regulating device for vehicles and more particularly to the cooling of the interiors thereof.

Heretofore eiforts in cooling the interior of vehicles have resulted in costly, cumbersome and inadequate appliances combined with engine cooling systems.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive air cooling device to be combined with the hot water heater of a vehicle.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference should be had to the detailed description and claims which follow connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferential embodiment of my invention of which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the air cooling. device-in combination with a vehicle hot water air heating system.

Figure 2 is an isometric view of the cooling tank with cover.

Figure 3 illustrates isometric views of the liquid intake box.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional elevation view of the intake filter box.

' I l, containing a suitable metallic coil or core through which a precooled liquid madium is pumped, is located preferably in the front portion of the vehicle on the dashboard. Flexible conduits l2 and 13 with shut-off valves it and I5 provide the interconnecting means for circulating the precooled liquid medium, such as water, through the coils or radiation element in. the heater and cooling unit ll. Tank it with cork or other suitable insulation ll, in my preferable embodiment, located in the trunk or the compartment of the vehicle retains and stores the liquid cooling medium. Centrally located at the bottom of the tank is the intake box 22, the construction'of which is shown in Figure 3, through which the cooling medium is drawn before flowing through the coils in the heating and cooling unit it. The intake box 22 is provided with an intake tube 89 to which the intake end of the flexible conduit 82 is connected said box being closed on the top with a suitable outlet opening provided for the reception of said intake tube l9 into the inside of said box. Ihe intake box bottom l8 otherwise open to the atmosphere is fitted with an integral coarse screen 28. A fine framed screen 2! removably fits within the intake box bottom l8 and rests upon the top of the coarse screen 2b, thereby providing a double screen or filter to keep foreign matter from getting through to the pumps and cooling coil.

Frame screen 2| is removed for cleaning from its resting place by first removing member 22 from the box bottom l8. Closure of the intake box 22 is provided by the screened bottom 20 which fits therein.

Fixed within the tank and always above the liquid level is secured a baflle or ice tray 23 upon which ice or solid carbon dioxide is stored (dry ice).

The return conduit i3 is provided on a' portion thereof, within the tank IS, with a perforated portion 24 through which the cooling medium such as water is allowed to drip or is sprayed upon the ice held by the tray.

By this means the water is cooled through its temporary contact with the ice, whence it falls to the bottom of the tank to be circulated through the aforementioned flexible conduits i2 and i3.

Circulation oi. the cooling water is accomplished in my preferable embodiment by the insertion into the system at any point of an electrically operated pump 25 actuated by the vehicle battery. Said pump consists of four pump units wired with two switches so that either two or four units may be operated depending upon the I amount of cooling required. It is recognized, however, that a mechanical operated pump could be used instead. l

An electric fan 26 in fixed relation to the coils H operable by means of a suitable switch (not shown) mounted on the vehicle instrument board provides the means for causing circulation of the air within the vehicle in heat exchange relation with the metallic coils through which the cooling medium is circulated.

An overflow pipe 21 centrally located within the tank provides a means of disposal of excess fluid in the tank so that the liquid level is always maintained below the ice tray. By keeping the ice or dry ice out of continued physical contact with the fluid, the ice supply is conserved.

Where dry ice is used the overflow pipe pro- 'vides an exit for the escaping carbon dioxide fumes from the tank.

As shown in Figure 2, the drain cock 28 is located at the bottomoi the tank.

Hingedly mounted upon the tank i6 is an arm 29 which is designed to rest upon the bumper of the vehicle and support the tank when partially removed from the rear compartment for replenishing the ice supply and which rotates upon its hinge and is folded parallel to said tank when the cooler has been filled and is pushed back in the vehicle trunk compartment on stainless steel tracks provided therefor.

conventional air heating hot water system wherein hot water from the engine's water Jacket is circulated through the same coil H in heat exa change relation to the air of the interior of the vehicle, the air being caused to circulate by meansof the same electric fan 26 aforementioned.

The shut oil valves 30 and 3| connected with the hot water supply and return conduits to and from the hot water heater from the engine water jacket are manually operable in my preferable embodiment. However, the substitution of other types of valves is contemplated as within the scope of my invention, such as electric solenoid valves controlled from instrument panel by a master switch showing positions for heating or cooling.

In Figure 1, the vehicle engine is diagrammatically indicated at 32 with water pump 33, fan 36, and radiator 35. Regular hot water lines indicated at 36 and 3'! provide the conventional source of supply of hot water to the coils l I when it is desired to be used as an air heater.

In hot weather the hot water air heating system for the interior of the vehicle is readily con-- Now having fully described my invention herein, reference will be had to the claims which follow for determining the scope hereof.

I claim:

1. In an air conditioner for a vehicle through which is circulated a pre-cooled pumped cooling medium, an insulated liquid storage tank with a cover therefor, a supporting baflle therein upon which ice is placed above the stored liquid medium in the bottom of said tank, an easily cleanabl'e intake filtering box through which the cooling medium is drawn and filtered for circulation, consisting ofa removable base portion, within which is framed a coarse screen above the bottom of and providing for communication between the interior of the box and the interior of said tank, and independently framed fine screen removably disposed in said box, and a cover cooperating with said base portion, said box having an outlet opening for connection with a supply conduit, and a tube longitudinally disposed within the top portion of said tank, perforated throughout and closed on one end with the other end open for communication with a return conduit.

2. In an air conditioner for a vehicle, through which is circulated a cooling medium, a storage tank, a supporting baffle therein upon which ice may be placed above a stored liquid medium in the bottom of said tank, an intake filter box disposed within said tank, comprised of a removable base portion within which is framed a coarse screen, a framed fine screen removably disposed in said box, and a cover portion for cooperation with said base portion to form a closed container, an outlet being providedtherein for connection with a supply conduit, a perforated return con- -duit longitudinally disposed within the top portion of said tank, through which the cooling medium on return to the tank is sprayed over the ice held on said baflle.

' PAUL E. DIEDERICH. 

